Movable support



Dec. 10, 1940. B. AMES MovABLE SUPPORT f Filed Aug. 1, 1939 Merzig 72.27 .s

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Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES MOVABLE` SUPPORT Butler Ames, Boston, Mass.

Application August 1,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in a movable support and has as its primary object the provision of a travelling support, by the use of which invalids and those whose power of loco- 5 motion is impaired are enabled to walk freely and safely without danger of falling.

More speciiically this device includes frames between which the user stands, said frames being connected so that they form a single unit and including bars to be grasped by the hands of the user to control the movement and direction of travel of the device, said device being supported at the forward ends of the frames upon rollers and at the rearward ends of the frames upon skids so that while the device can be moved easily it will be steadied againstany side slip or skidding.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated a device embodying one form of this invention Figs. 1 and 2 are views in front and side elevation respectively;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View, partly in section, of one detail of this invention; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged cross sectional views taken along section lines 4-4 and 5-5 in Fig. 2.

The device illustrated in the drawing comprises two side frames l and |I joined by bars I2 to form a single unitary structure. Each frame preferably comprises a continuous tubular bar bent to provide front and back legs I5 and I6 respectively and a horizontal section I'I connecting the legs at the top. The front leg I5 of each frame terminates in a forked yoke I8 by which is supported a Wheel I9. The wheel I9 is preferably provided with a rubber tire and is freely rotatable. The back leg IB of each frame terminates in hook ZIJ to the bottom of which a rod 2| is secured. As shown in Fig. 5 the underside of the hook 2|) is recessed longitudinally to provide a pocket in which the rod 2| is seated. The legs l5 and I6 preferably diverge slightly from the section I'I and are joined intermediate their lengths by a brace bar 22 which may be parallel to that section as shown in Fig. 2. The curve at the joinder of section I1 and leg I5 is preferably provided with a longitudinally extending depression 23 (see Fig. 4) for reasons to be pointed out later. Y

The bars I2 are preferably removably secured to the legs I6 of frames Ill and |I. One manner of carrying this out is shown particularly in Fig. 3 as comprising a sleeve or cup 25 rigidly fixed to each leg I6 which receives the end of a bar I2. The clearance between rod and sleeve is 1939, serial No. 237,730 (c1. -22) held at a minimum and the inner wall of the sleeve 25 is nickel plated. The bar I2 and sleeve I 25 are connected in any suitable manner as by a dowel 26.

From the above description it will be apparent that the user of the support stands between the frames II) and I I and in front of the bars I2 and. grasps the sections I'I. The user thus finds ready support at each side and is able to move with the support in any desired direction.

The frames I and II and bars |2 are of stainless steel or airplane tubing thus providing great strength and rigidity together with extreme lightness so that the support can be easily manipulated. When the bars I2 are removably attached to the frames the support can of course be easily knocked down into the frames and bars and can thus be stored or transported without diiliculty. The user generally grasps the support adjacent the forward ends of the sections with fingers in the depression 23, thus making more convenient the handling of the support.

The support may also be provided with a removable seat in the form of a sheet of convas or similar strong fabric 3l). The fabric is attached at one end to the lower bar I2 and at the other end to a roller 3|. When the fabric is extended, the roller 3| rests on the brace bars 22 and is held against backward travel by brackets` 32 fixed to the bars 22. When the seat is not to Abe used, the roller 3l is disconnected from the bars 22` and suspended from brackets 33 fixed to the legs Ordinarily the fabric is furled on the roller 3| so that it is completely out of the way.

It will be noted that the front legs only of the support areprovided with wheels and that the rods 2| atthe ends of the back legs serve as skids. Thus while the support can easily be moved in any desired direction, the rods 2|, when the weight of the user is applied to the support, act as brakes to retard the movement of the support and to prevent any involuntary movementthere` of. Moreover, the wheels are so mounted that they have movement in one linear direction only and thus act with therods to prevent any side slipping of the support. This is an important feature of the support, since it guards against and prevents falls which might otherwise occur if, for example, wheels were provided on all four legs or if the wheels were swiveled like casters so that they could shift easily from one position to another.

I claim:

1. Amovable support comprising a pair of side frames, each frame including front and back legs 55 and a, horizontal section connecting the tops of the legs, the legs and horizontal section of each frame being formed by a bent continuous tube, a wheel rotatably mounted at the bottom of the front leg and the back leg terminating in a hook, the under side of the hook and the upper side curve at the joinder of the front leg and horizontal section being recessed to provide longitudinally extending pockets, a rod iixed in the pocket at the hook, and bars connectingy the back legs of the frames to form a unit.

2. A movable support comprising a pair of side frames, each frame including front and rear legs, and a brace bar connecting said legs, bars connecting said frames to form a unit, aseat comprising a sheet of fabric connected at one end to one of said frame-connecting bars and aroller to which the other end of said sheet is connected, means on said brace bar by which said roller is engaged to hold the seat fabric extended, and means on the rear legs of the frame by which the roller is supported When the seat is not in use.

3. A movable support comprising a pair of side frames, each frame including front and rear legs, a horizontal section connecting the tops of the legs and a brace bar parallel to said section connecting said legs intermediate their lengths, bars connecting said frames, one of said bars being connected to the rear legs of thel frames, arseat comprising@ sheet of fabric connected at one end to said bar, and a roller to which the other end of the sheet is connected, said roller resting upon mthe brace bars of the frames when the seat is in position for use, means carried by said brace bars .which engage said roller, and brackets on said rear legsy by which the roller is supported when theseat is Ynot in position for use.

s BUTLER AMES. 

